Foot Protection Device for Insertion into a Sandal to Minimize Pressure and Irritations on the Top and Front Portions of the Foot

ABSTRACT

A foot protection device for insertion into a sandal, the sandal having a plurality of straps that run across the front and top area of the foot that may apply excess pressure and cause irritations to the foot, the foot protection device comprising, (a) an insole that lays upon and covers the sandal sole, (b) a foot band member positioned below the sandal straps and above the top of the foot and for the foot band member to have sufficient thickness and surface hardness to absorb the sandal strap stresses applied to the top of the foot and to thereby redistribute these stresses over the foot band member surface area to minimize any strap excess pressure and irritations to the top of the foot, and (c) a means for attaching each of the foot band member opposing ends to one of each of the insole opposing sides.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to foot protection devices thatmay be inserted into sandals to provide enhanced comfort. Moreparticularly, the invention disclosed herein relates to sandal insolesfor redistributing potential stresses caused by sandal straps that runacross the front and top area of the foot of a wearer. The footprotection device thereby minimizes excess pressure and irritations tothe front and top portion of the foot on which the straps come intocontact.

2. Description of the Related Art

The present invention is particularly applicable to the shoe industry,and to one who typically wears sandals consisting of straps that comeinto contact with the front and top portion of the wearer's foot, andwill be described with particular reference thereto.

The continuing concern among those in the shoe industry and amongconsumers who wear uncomfortable or irritating shoes, is that the strapsof a shoe or sandal may cause discomfort to the wearer and there is evergrowing concern to look for an invention that relieves pressure,minimizes irritations, and provides enhanced comfort. Shoe insoles andcomfort padding are often used to address the specific needs of anindividual in connection with this problem.

Over a period of time, the shoe sections that run across the portions ofthe foot have the potential for applying pressure and friction to thewearer's foot and causing that person to experience excess pressure,pain, or resulting in irritations and blisters. This problem affects thewearer and the wearer's foot in using certain shoes daily and may evenimpact the wearer's foot for days after the use depending on theduration of wear and the exertion of force and pressure upon the foot.Thus, the wearer is impeded from the general use of particular shoes ineveryday living.

In addition, the wearer may also experience discomfort on the bottomsole of the foot. In this case, the wearer may utilize devices includingpadded insoles, arch supports and orthopedic shoe supports. Such insoleshave proven less than ideal in aspects that address comfort to the frontand top portions of the foot that may come in contact with sandal strapsthat cause pressure and irritations.

The prior art teaches many types of insoles offering various support andcomfort padding. The foot sole supports and padding provide acomfortable surface for manipulation and allow a wearer to use theinsole for its intended use or function to support and provide comfortto the sole of the foot.

Various types of other relief are also available to provide direct spotcomfort and alleviate pressure on specific problem areas that come intocontact with troublesome shoe sections. Most, if not all, of theserelief paddings are limited to individual spot relief and do not providerelief for portions of the foot that extend beyond a limited, isolatedarea, nor do they provide relief for strap configurations across the topand front portions of the foot.

The goal of any comfort shoe insole or padding is to promote an easedcondition such that the foot is maintained in a comfortable position,and to deter points of external pressure or stress caused by certainshoe sections that come into direct contact with the wearer's foot.Moreover, a further goal of these products is to facilitate the functionof the foot as it interacts and engages with the wearer's shoe while thewearer is in a seated or idle position, and also if the wearer is inmotion or engaged in walking or some other activity experienced in theregular course of daily life.

Conventional insoles and relief pads suffer from a number of drawbacksto address the problem of sandal straps potentially applying excessiveforce and causing irritations on the top and front portions of thewearer's foot. One such drawback is that conventional insoles allow thewearer to experience comfort only on the sole of the foot. In addition,relief pads only provide comfort to limited points of contact betweenthe shoe and the foot and only provide a temporary solution as thesepads must be applied, and removed daily, and new pads must then bereapplied for the next wear of the shoe. For example, a wearer mayexperience discomfort on the back of the heel, and therefore use heelliners to provide relief. In the case of a wearer having particular footcorns or bunions on certain toes of the foot from the constant rubbingof the shoe on the foot, the wearer will use bunion pads to relievepressure from those particular, and limited points of contact with theshoe. This type of padding relief is temporary and only provides asingle daily wear use to be applied and removed daily.

Therefore, the use of conventional relief insoles or padding is notconducive for use in situations requiring coverage beyond limited areaslike the sole of the foot or specific isolated spots. Conventionalinsoles and padding do not address the problems encountered with sandalshaving a number of thin straps spaced and oriented such that the strapsrun across a front and top portion of the foot. Thus, conventionalinsoles do not alleviate problems typically encountered from theexcessive pressure and irritations caused by sandal straps that are intouch with the wearer's foot.

Another common drawback associated with specific, spot comfort paddingis that it typically allows only a limited area of the foot to come intocontact with the padding and does not fit over the entire front and topfoot portion that requires relief of pressure and irritation. A user,hence, would be required to line the foot with multiple spot paddingadhesives in order to assist in alleviating a larger area of the top,front of the foot falling underneath the straps of the sandal.

Alternatively, a wearer may also attempt to line the padding underneatheach strap. These uses, however, are not an effective or productive usefor these padding products, as the shape of the padding is not suitedfor multiple pads to be used at once or for more than one use. Inaddition, this type of padding could not accommodate thin straps andwould be a visual eye sore and be too cumbersome to wear multiple pads.

Furthermore, the padding is usually too thick to accommodate the spacebetween the wearer's foot and the sandal, thereby putting additionaldiscomfort on the wearer by consuming space and creating tension ortightness on the foot against the padding and shoe. Hence, the externalforce applied by a walking movement may quickly lead to pressure,discomfort and/or irritations on the foot.

More recently, padded or foam heel liners have been introduced to theshoe industry. Padded heel liners usually attach to the inside of theheel of the shoe with the padded portion facing inside the shoe andplaced against the heel of foot where the user is experiencing pressureor discomfort. The heel liners are typically used to relieve pressure onthe back of the heel to prevent friction and rubbing of the shoe againstthe wearer's heels.

In addition, medical tape may also be used to prevent friction betweenthe shoe and the wearer's foot. Although usually used in the danceindustry with ballet shoes, wearers may apply medical tape smoothly anddirectly on portions of the foot experiencing discomfort from pressureexerted by certain sections of a shoe. Medical tape is generallypurchased in a container with or without a cutting mechanism so that theuser is permitted to select the length of the tape to be used and can beextended in a length along the foot to address the areas experiencingpressure or discomfort.

This medical tape does not contain padding but does provide rub relieffor the users. The tape is an adhesive that must be affixed to the footand is intended for only a single use. In addition, another drawback isthat the tape or spot relief padding may shift during use and leave atacky adhesive residue against the wearer's skin that must be removedvia a rubbing motion or removal liquid such as soap, rubbing alcohol, orbaby oil. In some cases the tacky, adhesive residue becomes a difficulttask to fully remove on the inside of the shoe itself, thus imposing thewearer to continue to feel a residual substance against the foot duringfuture use.

In addition, toe pouch padding has also been introduced to the shoeindustry to provide comfort for pump type shoes that enclose an area ofthe front portion of the foot. This type of padding sits within theenclosed portion of the closed-toe pump shoe. This type of padding isnot conducive to relieving pressure from sandal straps running acrossthe front and top portions of the foot, as the toe pouch padding wouldbe visually apparent underneath the straps and would appear outside ofthe shoe or in between the plurality of spaced apart straps, which isnot the intention or purpose of that product.

Shoes are a constant part of everyday life and the majority of peopleregularly wear shoes or sandals, thereby spending continuous amounts oftime in a type of foot enclosure. A person wearing sandals having anumber of spaced apart straps, where the straps are positioned acrossthe front and top area of the foot, may end up experiencing excessforces from the straps and irritations on those portions of the wearer'sfoot that come into contact with those straps. With continuous, repeateduse of these types sandals, the wearer experiences unnecessary pressureand skin irritations caused by the straps, and the wearer's use ofparticular sandals is uncomfortable or impeded, thus interrupting thewearer's selection of shoes, everyday living and continuous dailyactivities.

Despite the existence of many types of insoles and padding to facilitatecomfort for one wearing shoes, the sandal wearer continues to experiencepressure and irritations on the top and front portions of the foot thatcome into contact with troublesome straps.

Accordingly, a need exists for a new and improved foot device thatspecifically relieves the discomfort, pressure, pain and irritationsexperienced by a sandal wearer on the front and top portions of thewearer's foot. In addition, there is a need for a foot protection devicethat provides better and more advantageous overall results in terms ofextending the length of time a wearer is able to comfortably wear shoesor sandals with a plurality of spaced-apart, thin straps that areoriented such that the straps run across the front and top area of thefoot of a wearer. It is a general object of the present invention toprovide such a foot protection device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Recognizing the need for the development of new and improved methods andproducts for relieving excess pressure and irritations on the front andtop area of the foot, the present invention is generally directed to theneeds set forth above and overcoming the problems with and thedisadvantages exhibited by prior foot protection devices, insoles andpadding.

The present invention relates to a foot protection device that isconfigured to relieve the excess pressure and irritations on the top andfront portions of the foot of one who is wearing sandals having a numberof straps, wherein the foot protection device comprises: (a) an insolehaving opposing sides and a configuration adapted to allow the insole tolay upon and approximately cover the inside sandal sole, (b) a foot bandmember having a top surface with pairs of opposing sides and ends, thefoot band member positioned below the sandal straps and above a portionof the top of the foot and for the foot band member to have sufficientthickness and top surface hardness so as to absorb the stresses appliedby the sandal straps to the top portion of the foot and to therebyredistribute these stresses over a significant portion of the foot bandmember surface area so as to minimize the potential excess pressure andirritations caused by the straps to the top portion of the foot withwhich the straps come into contact, and (c) a means for attaching eachfoot band member opposing end to one of each of the insole opposingsides.

In other possible embodiments of the present invention: (e) theconfiguration of the foot band member is further adapted so as to betransparent, (f) the sandal straps having a defined width and length andtherefore a surface area that comes into contact with the foot, and thesum of the surface areas for the plurality of straps defining a totalsum of the strap surface area for the sandal, the ratio of the foot bandmember surface area to the total strap surface area of the sandal beingin the range of 3-7, (g) the member top surface having a surfacehardness as measured by a ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in thesubstantial range of 40-90, and (h) the foot band member having athickness in the substantial range of 0.01-0.15 inches.

In addition, the present invention can take the form of a method offorming a foot protection device for insertion into a sandal, saidsandal of the type having a plurality of substantially spaced-apart,thin straps that are connected to the sole of the sandal and areoriented such that the straps run across a portion of the front and toparea of the foot and because of their orientation and thinness have thepotential for applying excess pressure and causing irritations to thoseportions of the front and top portion of the foot with which the strapscome into contact, the method comprising: (a) utilizing an insole havingopposing sides and a configuration adapted to allow the insole to layupon and approximately cover the inside sandal sole, (b) utilizing aninsole having opposing sides and a configuration adapted to allow saidinsole to lay upon and approximately cover the sandal sole, and (c)utilizing an insole having opposing sides and a configuration adapted toallow the insole to lay upon and approximately cover the sandal sole,utilizing a means for attaching each of the foot band member opposingends to one of each of the insole opposing sides.

Thus, there has been summarized above (rather broadly and understandingthat there are other preferred embodiments which have not beensummarized above) the present invention in order that the detaileddescription that follows may be better understood and appreciated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective, elevational view that illustrates a preferredembodiment of the present invention, the foot protection device shown inuse with a sandal on the foot of a wearer.

FIG. 2 is perspective, elevational view that illustrates a preferredembodiment of the present invention, the foot protection device beingshown apart from the foot of a wearer and sandal.

FIG. 3 is a perspective, top view of a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, the foot protection device being shown apart from thefoot of a wearer and sandal.

FIG. 4 is a perspective, bottom view of a preferred embodiment of thesole of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention indetail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and to the arrangements ofthe components set forth in the following description or illustrated inthe drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understoodthat the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purposeof description and should not be regarded as limiting. For lexiconpurposes, the terminology “shoe” and “sandal” are used interchangeably.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention 1 in the form of a foot protection device 1 shown inuse on the foot 10 of one who is wearing a sandal. To use the device 1,the wearer will insert the wearer's foot 10 into the device 1 such thatthe foot band member 30 substantially covers an area of the frontportion 12 and top portion 14 of the foot 10 and the wearer's sole 16rests against the top surface 26 of the insole 20. With the device inplace, the wearer may then insert the wearer's foot and the device intothe sandal for use. Alternatively, the wearer may also first place thedevice 1 into the sandal 40 such that the sandal straps 42 are restingagainst the foot band member 30 and the device insole 20 lays againstthe sandal insole 44. The wearer may then insert the wearer's foot 10into the sandal 40 with positioned device 1.

Sandals 40 generally differ in the style, number, length, and width ofstraps 42 that run across the foot 10 of a wearer. Often, sandals 40include a plurality of straps 42 that are substantially thin andspaced-apart and are connected to each side of the sandal sole. Thestraps 42 have the potential for applying pressure and excess frictionand causing discomfort and irritations where the straps 42 come intocontact with the wearer's foot 10. Thus, these problems with the straps42 impact and disrupt the wearer's everyday living and use of particularsandals 40.

The present invention 1 is designed to relieve excessive pressure andminimize irritations caused by sandal straps 42 positioned on the topportion 12 and front portion 14 of the wearer's foot 10. A sandal wearermay experience excessive rubbing, discomfort, pressure, and irritationcaused by the sandal straps 42. The wearer inserts the foot 10 into thefoot protection device 1 for use within the sandal 40. Use of the footprotection device 1 is particularly suited for continuous, repeated useby the wearer of such sandals 40.

The present invention 1 is seen to comprise parts or elements thatinclude an insole 20, a foot band member 30, and a means for attachingeach side of the foot band member's opposing ends 32, 34 to one of eachof the insole's opposing sides 22, 24. See FIGS. 1 and 2. Such that, thefirst foot band member-opposing end 32 is attached to the first insoleopposing side 22 and the second foot band member opposing end 34 isattached to the second insole opposing side 24.

The insole 20 comprises a top surface 26 and a bottom surface 28, andtwo insole opposing sides 22, 24—a first side 22, and a second side 24,along with a front end portion 37 and a back end portion 39. The insole20 is configured to lay upon and cover the inside sole 44 of the sandal40. By way of example, the insole 20 may be made of any suitablematerial such as cloth, cushioning material, polymer, molded material orthe like material in order to achieve a desired length and thickness forcomfort and/or support. FIGS. 2-4.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the foot band member 30, which can be of anydesired shape or form, is preferred in a substantially rectangular form.The foot band member 30 may be made of any suitable material, such as,for example, vinyl, a polymer material, polyvinyl chloride or the likematerial. The foot band member 30 also has a top surface 36 and bottomsurface 38, along with two opposing sides—a first opposing side 33, anda second opposing side 35. The foot band member also has two opposingends 32, 34—a first opposing end 32, and a second opposing end 34. Thefoot band member 30 is configured such that the two-foot band member 30opposing ends 32, 34 are connected with insole 20. The foot bandmember-first opposing end 32 is connected to the insole first opposingside 22, and the foot band member-second opposing end 34 is connected tothe insole-second opposing side 24. The foot band member 30 shields thefront portion 12 and top portion 14 of the wearer's foot 10 and isdefined by a certain surface area defined by the length and width of thefoot band member 30. The foot band member 30 is configured and situatedrelative to the insole as to minimize the excess pressure or irritationscaused by the straps 42 of the sandal 40 placed against portions of thefoot. In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, the footband member 30 would be of a translucent or transparent material suchthat the foot band member may be used with sandals having substantiallythin straps 42. In a possible embodiment, the foot band member 30 wouldbe substantially situated near the front-end portion 37 of the insole 20and lay above the foot 10 on the top portion 12 and front portion 14 ofthe foot 10. This positioning would place the foot band member 30substantially beneath the sandal straps 42. Because the foot band member30 is made of material having a sufficient thickness, the foot bandmember 30 is able to redistribute the stresses applied by the sandalstraps 42 over the top portion 12 and front portion 14 of the wearer'sfoot 10 throughout the surface area of the foot band member 30. Thereby,the foot band member 30 alleviates and relieves discomfort experiencedcaused by the sandal straps 42.

Because the sandal straps 42 have a defined width and length, they maycomprise a certain surface area that comes in contact with the foot 10of a wearer when the device is in use. The ratio of the strap area inrelation to the foot band member 30 area may be substantially in therange of 3:7.

The present invention also comprises a means for attaching the foot bandmember 30 to the insole 20. The foot band member 30 has a first opposingend 32 that may be attached to the insole 20 first opposing side 22, andthe foot band member 30 second opposing side 34 may be attached to theinsole 20 second opposing side 24. Both foot band member first andsecond opposing ends 32, 34 are substantially attached to theinsole-first and second opposing sides 22, 24 at the front-end portion37 of the insole 20.

FIG. 1 shows the foot 10 of the intended wearer. The foot 10 includes afront portion 12, top portion 14, and the sole 16 of the foot 10. FIGS.1 and 6 show the foot 10 of a wearer who is wearing a sandal 40 andusing the foot protection device 1 when both the foot 10 and device 1are inserted into the sandal 40.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wearer inserts the foot 10 into the footprotection device 1 and the sandal 40. The straps 42 are connected toeach side of the sole 44 of the sandal 40 and are oriented such that thesandal 40 has a number of straps 42 that are spaced apart and run acrossthe front portion 12 and top portion 14 of the wearer's foot 10. Due tothe positioning of the straps 42 on the wearer's foot 10, the straps 42have the potential for applying excess pressure or friction and causingdiscomfort, and pain, and irritations where the straps 42 come intocontact with the foot 10.

In one possible embodiment, the wearer's foot 10 is inserted into thefoot protection device 1 such that the foot band member 30 covers thetop portion 12 and front portion 14 of the wearer's foot 10. The sole 16of the wearer's foot 10 rests on the insole 20 of the foot protectiondevice 1. The top portion 12 and front portion 14 of the wearer's foot10 extends underneath the foot band member 30, which relieves the excesspressure and minimizes irritations to the top portion 12 and frontportion 14 of the wearer's foot 10 that would otherwise be exerted onthe foot 10 during continuous wear without the device 1. As previouslydescribed herein, relieving such pressure and irritations on the foot 10of a wearer decreases the pain, stress and discomfort experienced by awearer.

It should be understood that the insole 20 could be otherwise configuredand sized and formed for contacting more or less of the wearer's foot10. In addition, in at least some embodiments of the invention, theinsole 20 and foot band member 30 could have a different surfacematerial or texture. It should be understood that other types of surfacematerials or textures could be used without departing from the scope ofthe present invention.

It also should be understood that the foot band member 30 is connectedto the insole 20 and that the foot protection device 1 could be providedwith any suitable connecting, coupling or attachment means withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention, for attaching thefoot band member-first opposing end and second opposing end 34 to theinsole-first opposing side 22 and second opposing side 24 respectively.For example, the foot band member 30 could be connected to the insole 20by a connecting means of the releasable type or of the permanent typewithout departing from the scope of the invention. The foot band member30 could be easily adhered to adjoin the insole 20 opposing sides 22 and24 or could be glued, sewn, or used in combination with elastic, oraffixed by other means. In addition, the foot protection device 1 couldbe one continuous device and thus the foot band member 30 would beaffixed to the insole 20 by way of permanent embodiment.

There are many suitable materials from which the present invention canbe fabricated and all are considered to come within the scope of thepresent invention. A major consideration in the selection of such amaterial is the requirement that it be able to sufficiently redistributeover a larger surface area the forces that would otherwise be imposed bya sandal's thin straps 42 on the front and top portions of a wearer'sfoot 10. In order for this to occur, the foot band member 30 cannot beexcessively indented in those areas where a sandal's thin straps 42 arepressing down against the foot band member 30. Experimentation has shownthat a material with an ASTM D22240—type D durometer rating in the rangeof 40 to 90 is sufficient for this task, with preferred materials havinga rating of greater than 65.

For example, many types of high quality, transparent or translucent,vinyl polymer material have been found to be suitable from which tofabricate the foot band member 30 of the present invention. It should beappreciated by those skilled in the art that any similar material mayalso be used to fabricate this foot band member 30.

It was further found that by utilizing a material with such a level ofsurface hardness, and with a thickness in the range of approximately0.01 inches-0.1 inches (which was kept as small as possible so as to notdetract from the appearance of the sandal 40), the foot band member 30could effectively redistribute the forces being imposed by a sandal'sthin straps 42 over an area that was greater than 3 to 7 times thesurface area of the thin straps 42 that were actually in contact with awearer's foot (i.e., wherein each of the sandal's straps 42 has adefined width and length and therefore a defined surface area that comesinto contact with a wearer's foot 10, and that the sum of such surfaceareas for all of a sandal's straps 42 defines a sandal's total strapsurface area. The foot band member is fabricated such that the areabetween the end surfaces and side surfaces forms a surface area and isin the range of 3-7 times that of a sandal's total strap surface area).

A vinyl polymer product of 12-gauge vinyl (having a range ofapproximately 0.01-0.1 inches of thickness) for the foot band member 30was found to be the most cost effective for the current application. Inone preferred embodiment, the food band member was constructed usingpoly vinyl chloride (PVC) having a flexible material structure. Thefabrication materials yield a foot protection device that is easily andcontinuously used and will provide comfort relief to the wearer from thetroublesome sandal straps.

In one preferred embodiment, the foot band member 30 is fabricated suchthat the foot band member 30 is substantially rectangular in shape andthe member 30 would have dimensions that vary according to a foot size.In the preferred embodiments, the dimensions range are as follows: thelength of the foot band member 30 first opposing side 33 (that laysclosest to the toes and approximately parallel to the toes) is in arange of 3-5 inches; the length of the foot band member 30 secondopposing side 35 (that lays on the top portion of the foot farthest fromthe toes and approximately parallel to the toes) is in a range of 5-8inches; the width of the middle of the foot band member 30 is in therange of 1.5-4 inches; the width of the foot band member 30 on theinside 11 of the foot 10 is in the range of 2.5-3.5 inches; and thewidth of the foot band member 30 on the outside 13 of the foot 10 is inthe range of 2.5-4.5 inches. It should be understood, however, that thefoot band member 30 may be of many shapes, sizes, lengths, and widthswithout departing from the scope of the present invention. In addition,one preferred embodiment of the foot band member 30 was fabricatedhaving a thickness in the range of substantially 0.01-0.1 inches.

In another preferred embodiment, the foot band member 30 could be madeof a transparent material, so as not to detract from the visualappearance of the sandal 40.

Experimentation was conducted to determine the optimal size andpositioning of the foot band member 30 on the front portion 12 and topportion 14 of the wearer's foot 10 and provide for an adequate length,width, and surface area in order to reduce the impact of the shoe straps42 that come in contact with the wearer's foot 10.

Advantages of the present invention include the minimization ofrepetitive stress-type pressure and irritations by use of the foot bandmember 30, which allows the wearer to continuously wear shoes or sandalsin everyday living without the discomfort of excess stress or pain onthe wearer's foot. In addition, the foot protection device 1 is alsospecifically designed so as to allow the foot to extend into the sandaland be protected by the foot band member 30. The foot band member 30redistributes the stresses of the troublesome straps 42 that wouldusually come in contact with the skin on the top and front potion of thewearer's foot, but instead the sandal strap forces are dispersed ontoand throughout the foot band member 30, which is situated on top of andabove of the wearer's foot 10 and below the sandal straps 42.

Furthermore, the proposed foot protection device is designed so as to beeasily used and manufactured using conventional forms of manufacturingand conventional materials so as to provide a foot protection devicethat will be economically feasible, long lasting for an item of itsnature and relatively trouble-free in operation.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe present invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changeswill readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired tolimit the invention to the exact construction and utilization shown anddescribed herein. Accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention that is illustratively set forth in the followingrepresentative claims to the present invention.

We claim:
 1. A foot protection device for insertion into a sandal, saidsandal of the type having a plurality of substantially spaced-apart,substantially thin straps that are connected to each side of the sole ofthe sandal and are oriented such that the straps run across a portion ofthe front and top area of the foot of a wearer and because of theirorientation and substantial thinness have the potential for applyingexcess pressure and causing irritations to those portions of the frontand top portion of the foot of said wearer with which the straps comeinto contact, said foot protection device comprising: an insole having atop surface and a bottom surface and opposing sides and a configurationadapted to allow said insole to lay upon and approximately cover saidsandal sole, a foot band member having a top surface with pairs ofopposing sides and ends and a specified surface area between said endsand sides, said member having a configuration adapted to allow said footband member to be positioned below said sandal straps and above aportion of the top of the foot of a sandal wearer and for said member tohave sufficient thickness and said member top surface to have sufficientsurface hardness so as to absorb the stresses otherwise applied by saidsandal straps to said top portion of the foot of said sandal wearer andto thereby redistribute these stresses over a significant portion ofsaid surface area of said member so as to minimize the potential thatsaid straps will apply excess pressure and cause irritations to the topportion of the foot of the wearer with which said straps come intocontact, and a means for attaching each of said foot band memberopposing ends to one of each of said insole opposing sides.
 2. The footprotection device as recited in claim 1, wherein said configuration ofsaid foot band member is further adapted so as to be transparent.
 3. Thefoot protection device as recited in claim 1, wherein each of saidsandal straps having a defined width and length and therefore a surfacearea that comes into contact with the foot of said wearer, and the sumof the surface areas for said plurality of straps defining a total strapsurface area for said sandal, the ratio of said foot band member surfacearea to the total strap surface area of said sandal being in the rangeof 3-7.
 4. The foot protection device as recited in claim 2, whereineach of said sandal straps having a defined width and length andtherefore a surface area that comes into contact with the foot of saidwearer, and the sum of the surface areas for said plurality of strapsdefining a total strap surface area for said sandal, the ratio of saidfoot band member surface area to the total strap surface area of saidsandal being in the range of 3-7.
 5. The foot protection device asrecited in claim 1, wherein said member top surface having a surfacehardness as measured by an ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in therange of 40 to
 90. 6. The foot protection device as recited in claim 2,wherein said member top surface having a surface hardness as measured byan ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in the range of 40 to
 90. 7. Thefoot protection device as recited in claim 3, wherein said member topsurface having a surface hardness as measured by an ASTM D2240—type Ddurometer rating in the range of 40 to
 90. 8. The foot protection deviceas recited in claim 4, wherein said member top surface having a surfacehardness as measured by an ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in therange of 40 to
 90. 9. The foot protection device as recited in claim 5,said foot band member having a thickness in the range of 0.01-0.1inches.
 10. The foot protection device as recited in claim 6, said footband member having a thickness in the range of 0.01-0.1 inches.
 11. Thefoot protection device as recited in claim 7, said foot band memberhaving a thickness in the range of 0.01-0.1 inches.
 12. The footprotection device as recited in claim 8, said foot band member having athickness in the range of 0.01-0.1 inches.
 13. A method of forming afoot protection device for insertion into a sandal, said sandal of thetype having a plurality of spaced-apart, thin straps that are connectedto each side of the sole of the sandal and are oriented such that thestraps run across a portion of the front and top area of the foot of awearer and because of their orientation and thinness have the potentialfor applying excess pressure and causing irritations to those portionsof the front and top portion of the foot of said wearer with which thestraps come into contact, said method comprising the steps of: (a)utilizing an insole having a top surface and a bottom surface andopposing sides and a configuration adapted to allow said insole to layupon and approximately cover said sandal sole, (b) utilizing a foot bandmember having a top surface with pairs of opposing sides and ends and aspecified surface area between said ends and sides, said foot bandmember having a configuration adapted to allow said member to bepositioned below said sandal straps and above a portion of the top ofthe foot of a sandal wearer and for said member to have sufficientthickness and said member top surface to have sufficient surfacehardness so as to absorb the stresses otherwise applied by said sandalstraps to said top portion of the foot of said sandal wearer and tothereby redistribute these stresses over a significant portion of saidsurface area of said member so as to minimize the potential that saidstraps will apply excess pressure and cause irritations to the topportion of the foot of the wearer with which said straps come intocontact, and (c) utilizing a means for attaching each of said foot bandmember opposing ends to one of each of said insole opposing sides. 14.The method of forming a foot protection device as recited in claim 13,wherein said configuration of said foot band member is further adaptedso as to be transparent.
 15. The method of forming a foot protectiondevice as recited in claim 13, wherein each of said sandal straps havinga defined width and length and therefore a surface area that comes intocontact with the foot of said wearer, and the sum of the surface areasfor said plurality of straps defining a total strap surface area forsaid sandal, the ratio of said foot band member surface area to thetotal strap surface area of said sandal (40) being in the range of 3-7.16. The method of forming a foot protection device as recited in claim13, wherein said member top surface having a surface hardness asmeasured by an ASTM D2240—type D durometer rating in the range of 40 to90.
 17. The method of forming a foot protection device as recited inclaim 13, said foot band member having a thickness in the range of0.01-0.1 inches.
 18. The method of forming a foot protection device asrecited in claim 14, wherein each of said sandal straps having a definedwidth and length and therefore a surface area that comes into contactwith the foot of said wearer, and the sum of the surface areas for saidplurality of straps defining a total strap surface area for said sandal,the ratio of said foot band member surface area to the total strapsurface area of said sandal being in the range of 3-7.
 19. The method offorming a foot protection device as recited in claim 15, wherein saidmember top surface having a surface hardness as measured by an ASTMD2240—type D durometer rating in the range of 40 to
 90. 20. The methodof forming a foot protection device as recited in claim 16, said footband member having a thickness in the range of 0.01-0.1 inches.